NPR’s refusal to use the word bullshit when quoting the president’s response to Robert Mueller’s report sparks a discussion of censorship that touches all the bases: America’s Puritan roots, the PMRC hearings of 1985 , Grand Theft Auto 3 , the importance of active parenting, and why you should be pro-information. MUSIC: “APESHIT” - THE CARTERS ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Was the PMRC censorship in disguise? ( Stuff You Should Know ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 30, 2019•40 min
This week, the guys talk about instant replay in sports, Pierce apologizes for a situation with a coworker, and Sean shouts out a GQ article about the iconic garment of country music: the Nudie suit. MUSIC: “Red Bull & Hennessy” - Jenny Lewis ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The Battle for the Heart of the Great American Nudie Suit ( GQ ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 23, 2019•40 min
This week, the gang is together, watching the Masters and Chelsea-Liverpool from Pierce’s couch while they talk about hats. Are baseball caps part of the archetypal “American uniform?” Should there be unwritten societal rules about when one can wear a knit winter hat? And of course, are fedoras ever acceptable to wear in public (or in private, for that matter)? MUSIC: “Old Town Road - Remix (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)” - Lil Nas X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 16, 2019•37 min
VIRGINIA WON VIRGINIA WON VIRGINIA WON Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of our system, let’s get to this week’s topic: side hustles. What’s the difference between a side hustle and a second job? Are there particular kinds of things that lend themselves well to side hustles? Is there a risk to starting to make money from one of your hobbies? And do you even need to be making money for it to be a side hustle? MUSIC: “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” - Alex Lahey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Apr 09, 2019•42 min
This week, Max tells Pierce and Sean about his experience at the PAX East gaming convention in Boston. What goes on at a gaming convention? Who goes? And perhaps most importantly, how does it smell ? Oh, and VIRGINIA IS IN THE FINAL FOUR! As always, Pierce apologizes. And Sean shouts out Us and a DC-area business for music lovers. MUSIC: I Got 5 On It” - Luniz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 02, 2019•37 min
This week, Kevin and the gang are in Richmond discussing the cashless revolution. Why is it happening? Are there other financial priorities that we should be dealing with first? Who’s impacted most by it? And is Philadelphia right to try to put a stop to it? MUSIC “The Woodpile” - Frightened Rabbit ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Philadelphia Is First U.S. City to Ban Cashless Stores ( Wall Street Journal - paywall) I'm an American living in Sweden. Here's why I came to embrace the higher taxes. (Vox) A Cel...
Mar 26, 2019•39 min
The gang takes a rare turn into current events this week to discuss the college admissions scandal that’s gripping the nation. Are these actions surprising because they’re illegal or just a logical (over)extension of parents’ desire for their kids to go to prestigious colleges? How will college athletics programs’ involvement affect real student athletes? And how low do you have to be to fake a disability to get accommodations on the SAT? MUSIC: “Money in the Way” - 2 Chainz ADDITIONAL MATERIAL:...
Mar 19, 2019•46 min
Maybe you’ve heard of the full English breakfast. You’ve probably heard of a continental breakfast. And you’ve undoubtedly heard a million different people give a million different answers about what you should eat for breakfast. But what’s an “American breakfast?” And how did we get to the point where people’s thoughts about the morning meal are so all over the place? MUSIC: “Black Coffee in Bed” - Squeeze Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 12, 2019•38 min
This week, the guys are digging into the nostalgia surrounding the ‘80s songs you inevitably hear in bars, in movies, on TV, on the radio, and basically everywhere else. Why is Journey the band from the 1980s that has persisted so strongly in our culture, and what might eventually knock them off the pedestal? MUSIC “Purple Rain” - Prince ADDITIONAL MATERIAL The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s (Pitchfork) The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s (Pitchfork) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...
Mar 05, 2019•48 min
This week, the gang is talking about AirPods. Are they functional? What about practical? And does buying them make you part of a cult? MUSIC: “Breathless on DVD” - Antarctigo Vespucci ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Do AirPods Make You Look Rich? These Millennials Think So ( Wall Street Journal - paywalled) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 26, 2019•40 min
You’ve maybe seen articles about millennial burnout in the New York Times or on BuzzFeed . The job market is still often brutal to navigate for young people, combined with rapidly-inflating costs of living and not-so-rapidly-inflating wages. And through all of it, there’s a chorus of Elon Musks and Gary Vaynerchuks shouting about “hustling,” “grinding,” and how if you’re not working 100 hours a week, you’re a failure. But there are skeptics out there who chalk it up to their favorite boogeyman—t...
Feb 19, 2019•45 min
Kevin joins Pierce and Sean for a discussion of college basketball’s longtime loathsome villains, the Duke Blue Devils. Has Duke become less hatable in the 2010s? And what the hell is Coach K doing playing a zone? As always, Pierce apologizes. And Sean shouts out a fantastic new book on A Tribe Called Quest. MUSIC: “Jazz (We’ve Got)” - A Tribe Called Quest ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Go Ahead in the Rain by Hanif Abdurraqib (Indiebound) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 12, 2019•45 min
Ugh, it’s a rough time to be a New Orleans sports fan. Not only are the loathsome New England Patriots champions after beating the Los Angeles Rams in an all-around terrible Super Bowl that Sean feels like the Saints were shafted out of, but now the best player to ever suit up for his NBA team wants out — and he wants to go to the damn Lakers . He talks to Max and Pierce about Anthony Davis’s trade request, what it’s like to know that your franchise players are always going to want to leave, and...
Feb 05, 2019•47 min
Last time we dove deep into a TV episode, Sean and Pierce dissected Mad Men ’s “The Suitcase.” This time, Max is present as well for a discussion of “Ozymandias,” the Rian Johnson-directed Breaking Bad masterpiece. Pierce gives a stirring reading of the original Shelley poem before the gang talks about the sights and sounds of “Ozymandias” and explores how this is the episode where everything falls apart. MUSIC: “Take My True Love By The Hand” - The Limeliters ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Ozymandias - A...
Jan 29, 2019•42 min
The gang opens the show with a tribute to Vanguard founder Jack Bogle. Then, an announcement of new price hikes by Netflix brings up the question of whether cord-cutting is actually more expensive than cable packages and a discussion of Netflix’s impending content crisis. MUSIC: “Pain Killer” - Iceage ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Netflix’s upcoming content crisis, in one chart (Vox) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 23, 2019•43 min
These days, it seems like all the food is going into bowls. Between Chipotle and Sweetgreen and Chopt and Cava and all of the other places that make mildly-to-egregiously-overpriced lunches for America’s millennial workforce, the focus appears to have shifted from the humble sandwich to salad bowls, burrito bowls, Mediterranean bowls, and on and on and on. Why is this happening? And, as we often ask, is it a good thing? MUSIC: “Me & My Dog” - boygenius ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Patton Oswalt on K...
Jan 15, 2019•35 min
Last night, No. 2 Clemson took a big lead early and never let up, cruising to a dominant 44-16 national championship win over No. 1 Alabama behind three passing touchdowns from true freshman Trevor Lawrence (two to wideout Justyn Ross) and three scores from tailback Travis Etienne. It was the fourth year in a row that the two squads met in the College Football Playoff, and the third in that span where the title was on the line, so leading up to the game, there was a tremendous backlash from fans...
Jan 08, 2019•38 min
Short-shirt company Untuckit has ridden the casual-workplace trend all the way to a search for funding that would value the company at a staggering $600 million . That valuation is nothing compared to what investors decided logoless shoe mavens Allbirds was worth. So how did we get here? And does middle school maybe have anything to do with it? MUSIC: “Nameless, Faceless” - Courtney Barnett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 02, 2019•39 min
Merry Christmas! Hopefully you’re enjoying the holidays in the company of family and friends. And maybe, if you’re lucky enough to still be off work/school/etc., you’ll be settling in on Wednesday to watch some Boxing Day Premier League action. This week, the gang discusses the “Festive Fixtures” blitz that sees every club in England’s top league playing four matches in a blistering 14-day span. MUSIC: “Atlas Drowned” - Gang of Youths Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 24, 2018•34 min
It’s Christmas party season, which means it’s time to remind you that you should probably be leaving parties (especially work ones) early . It’s also time to discuss a gesture that has as many names as there are lazy ethnic stereotypes about European nationalities. You might know it as the Irish goodbye, the French exit, or maybe something else. Why do people leave social gatherings without saying goodbye? And are they… right to do so ? MUSIC: “Back Door Santa” - Clarence Carter ADDITIONAL MATER...
Dec 18, 2018•36 min
The year-end rankings list: Is it the definitive guide to what mattered in culture this past year? Or is it just an exercise in the perpetual need to crank out more and more content faster and faster? And why are they released so long before the year actually ends? That’s what Sean, Pierce, and Max are discussing this week. MUSIC: “Love It If We Made It” - The 1975 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 11, 2018•39 min
Ford and GM are both significantly scaling back development and production of cars —not as in automobiles generally, but specifically non-truck/SUV vehicles. Sean, Pierce, and Max talk about what’s driving that change (no pun intended) and who is still buying American-made sedans. MUSIC: “Velvet Elvis” - Kacey Musgraves Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 04, 2018•36 min
Are you still enjoying your Thanksgiving leftovers? Pierce (who is) and Sean (who is not) talk this week about what to do with the post-Turkey Day turkey. Is microwaving your leftover mashed potatoes disrespectful to your parents/grandparents/aunts/friends/yourself? And if you must nuke, is there a way to nuke that keeps your food from drying out? As always, Pierce apologizes, and Sean gets emotional over books. MUSIC: “Near to the Wild Heart of Life” - Japandroids Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
Nov 27, 2018•38 min
Kevin joins Max and Pierce this week to discuss the greatest event in sport. No, not the Rams’ thrilling 54-51 win over the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. They’re talking, of course, about the 2018 World Chess Championship…which, as you listen to this, is still going on! MUSIC: “Soft Stud” - Black Belt Eagle Scout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 20, 2018•37 min
We’re not saying the Food Network is dying, but maybe it’s in need of an injection of a little something new. We’re a little tired of watching a zillion Chopped reruns a day. Meanwhile, Vice is struggling with some high-profile talent departures , a string of sexual harassment allegations , and some significant financial woes . Does Pierce have an idea that weaves those things together? He sure does! MUSIC: “Everybody Wants to Be Famous” - Superorganism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...
Nov 13, 2018•33 min
It’s Election Day, so the gang gives one last reminder of how important it is for you to go vote today. After that, they chat about meal-prep services like Blue Apron and Bon Appetit’s sub-site Basically, which recently launched 10x10, “a series of 10 simple, essential recipes that will make you a better cook.” Who are these offerings aimed at? How are they different? And, as always, the question we love to ask: Are they good? MUSIC: “Mistake” - Middle Kids ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Welcome to Basica...
Nov 06, 2018•44 min
Tomorrow is Halloween, so the gang got together to talk about scary movies. Why do we like them so much? How have they evolved since the days of Freddy and Jason? And what happens when you watch them multiple times? MUSIC: “Quick” - Tank & the Bangas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 30, 2018•44 min
From Chocolate Chip Cookie Week (The Takeout) and Evil Week (Lifehacker) in the Gizmodo Media Group universe to Good Bad Movies Week and Patriots Week on The Ringer, the “____ Week” has become a major trope on millennial-focused websites, so the gang is talking about them this week. Where did they start? What is the purpose they serve? And are they any good? MUSIC: “Geyser” - Mitski Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 23, 2018•35 min
About two years ago, the gang talked about festivals . For the first time since that episode, Sean went to a music festival—specifically, Austin City Limits. He talks to Pierce, Max, and Kevin about the bands he saw (many excellent ones), his appreciation of city-based festivals (explore the city in the morning, go to the festival in the afternoon), and whether his perspective on festivals has changed (you’ll have to listen to find out). MUSIC: “Maria También” - Khruangbin Hosted on Acast. See a...
Oct 16, 2018•46 min
It’s October, which means it’s time for playoff baseball. Kevin joins Pierce and Sean to reminisce on their childhood relationships with baseball, how those relationships have changed, and whether it’s acceptable to have a 5-hour game. MUSIC: “Slow Rider” - Cuddle Magic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 09, 2018•47 min
